Method and system for providing support for software applications

A system for providing support to a Java™ based software application having a plurality of instances, the system comprising:

• an application server configured to send a first attribute-list over on a network to a support server, the first attribute list corresponding to a first operating environment for which an instance of the Java™ based software application is deployed in the application server, wherein the first attribute-list comprises attributes corresponding to a first plurality of classes currently used by the instance of the Java™ based software application in the application server, the first plurality of classes being used by the instance of the Java™ based software application while being deployed in said application server, said support server receives said first attribute list from said application server on said network;
• and
• a support server communicating with the application server on the network, wherein the support server is configured to:
• maintain a plurality of sets of attribute lists, each set of attribute list corresponding to one of the plurality of operating environments and indicates expected attributes of the classes used by the instance corresponding to the one operating environment;
• receive the first attribute list on the network from said application server;
• identify, in response to receiving of the first attribute list, a second attribute list of the plurality of sets of attribute lists corresponding to the first operating environment;
• compare the attributes of the second attribute-list with those of the first attribute-list, wherein the second attribute-list comprises attributes corresponding to a second plurality of classes associated with the first operating environment;
• and
• send for display a diagnostic report for the instance of the Java™ based software application based on the comparison between the first attribute-list and the second attribute-list, said diagnostic report indicating the results of comparing the attributes of the first attribute list with those in the second attribute list such that the diagnostic report;
• wherein each of the application server and the support server comprises at least one processor and a memory, wherein the processor retrieves and executes the instructions from the memory.

A method of providing remote support for a plurality of instances of a software application, wherein each instance is modified to include corresponding classes for meeting the requirements of one of a plurality of operating environments, the method being performed in a support server communicatively coupled to the application server by a network, the method comprising:

• maintaining, in said support server, a plurality of sets of attribute lists, each set of attribute list corresponding to one of the plurality of operating environments and indicates the expected attributes of the classes used by the instance corresponding to the one operating environment;
• receiving, in said support server, a first attribute-list from the application server, the first attribute list corresponding to a first operating environment for which an instance of the software application is deployed in the application server, wherein the first attribute-list comprises attributes corresponding to a first plurality of classes currently used by the instance of the software application, the first plurality of classes being used by the instance of the software application while being deployed in said application server;
• said support server receives said first attribute list from said application server on said network;
• identifying, in said support server, a second attribute list of the plurality of sets of attribute lists corresponding to the first operating environment;
• comparing, in said support server, the attributes of the second attribute-list with those of the first attribute-list, wherein the second attribute-list comprises attributes corresponding to a second plurality of classes associated with the first operating environment;
• and
• sending for displaying, by said support server, a diagnostic report for the instance of the software application based on the comparison between the second attribute-list and the first attribute-list, said diagnostic report indicating the results of comparing the attributes of the first attribute list with those in the second attribute list.